The image forming apparatuses include imager devices for imaging a subject to record an image thereof, devices for capturing as an image a document or the like describing texts, images, etc. and devices for forming a computer-generated image, a scanner-captured image or imager-shot image onto a paper. The imager devices include, for example, digital cameras. Meanwhile, the devices for capturing an image of a document, etc. include, for example, scanners. Furthermore, the devices for forming an image on a paper include, for example, printers.
The printer is to form a visible image matched to a subject image by the use of ink, toner or the like. The image forming apparatus of this kind include, for example, ink jet printers, laser beam printers and so on. The image forming apparatuses of this kind are placed in mass-production and price-reduction owing to widespread personal computers. Hence, there is an increasing tendency that they are possessed and used personally.
In the meanwhile, the image forming apparatuses, if same, are used in various ways by the users. There are various use ways, e.g., text print, image print not requiring especially high resolution, color print with multi colors not requiring complicated hue, and high-leveled color print requiring delicate hue. Moreover, the users not necessarily apply the use ways herein exemplified in a completely equivalent manner. Rather, there are deviated ways of use.
This is true for the utilization frequency of the image forming apparatus. There are variations in utilization frequency depending upon the user, e.g., some users who do print infrequently and other users who frequently do print.
Meanwhile, from the standpoint of the maker supplying the image forming apparatuses, cost reduction is intended by the mass production with standardizing the product to a possible extent. This requires to decrease the kinds of products to a possible less extent However, there are a variety of user's utilization forms. For this reason, manufacture products are intended to have increased functions and improved performances in order to meet a variety of user's needs.
However, conventionally it has been a general practice to set the price of an image forming apparatus with reference to a manufacturer's desired selling price, depending upon the sale in a marketplace. The user purchases an image forming apparatus at a market price to use it for his or her own purpose. Namely, it can be considered that there has been so-far no direct relationship between the selling price of an image forming apparatus and the utilization way by the user. Hence, the price upon selling is not affected by how to utilize.
Meanwhile, the image forming apparatus requires a recording material, e.g., toner, ink or the like. These are consumables and require supplement. Accordingly, the user purchases new toner, ink or the like, to detach the container used of toner, ink or the like from the image forming apparatus and attach a new container filled with recording material onto the image forming apparatus.
In the meanwhile, the recording material, e.g. ink, is marketed in a form of a constant quantity filled within a predetermined-sized cartridge. This is true for toner. On the other hand, the image forming apparatuses even if same are used in various ways from one user to another. For example, there are users who require an great amount of print to consume a great deal of recording material, e.g. ink whereas there are other users who require a reduced amount of print to consume a less amount of ink.
However, at present, no marketing is being available on the cartridges dependent upon the user's use form. This is due to one reason that the production of a plurality of kinds of cartridges changed in ink amount results in cost increase.